A New Type of Mission
by moyatoska
Summary: Sakura has finally decided to act on her feelings, with Ino's help. Kakashi, on the other hand, is more resistant to giving into his own. KakaSaku.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its contents. Thank you to neonanything for beta-reading!_

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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

Tea sprayed out of Ino's mouth. "WHAT?!" she shrieked, causing heads to whip around

Sakura cringed. She really hadn't wanted to tell Ino, because she _knew _Ino do something crazy, but she couldn't think of anyone else to confide in about her…love interest. Hinata would have turned crimson and fainted, Naruto would've killed the man, Sai would have told him the next time they met, and Tenten was away on a long-term mission. Ino was the logical choice. She was Sakura's best friend and had to know something about guys, since she had finally gotten together with Shikamaru. There was no reason _not_ to tell Ino…except for this very public reaction. Sakura had tried to hold off until they were back at Ino's apartment, but of course Ino had noticed something was off and had insisted that Sakura spill during dinner.

"Ino," Sakura hissed, "this is why I wanted to wait until we were at your apartment!"

Ino sat back in her chair. "Oh my god, you're serious." Slowly, her look of shock transformed into a wicked grin.

Sakura's stomach fell. "No."

The grin widened. "I have the perfect plan!"

Sakura dropped her head into her hands and groaned. After a moment, she peeked through her fingers. "So you don't think it's weird, or creepy, or wrong?"

Ino reached across and squeezed Sakura's arm. "Of course not! He _is_ one of the most eligible bachelors in Konoha. I mean, have you seen the man's biceps? And the mysterious is always sexy," she added, flipping her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "Now, down to business. You, Haruno Sakura, need to seduce Hatake Kakashi!"

"Oh, god," Sakura muttered, praying that none of the villagers had overheard.

Throwing down some coins, Ino downed the rest of her tea, grabbed Sakura by the arm, and practically skipped back to her apartment. Sakura allowed herself to be dragged along, hoping Ino's plan involved flirting pointers and not something horrible like showing up at Kakashi's door in nothing but a trench coat. Once Ino had pushed Sakura inside, she pulled her over to the squishy couch and sat facing her, legs crossed and chin propped up on her hands.

"Spill, Forehead!" she demanded.

"Pig, I already told you," Sakura groaned. "I realized…I like Kakashi-sensei. As more than a team leader."

"No, no," Ino shook her head. "Tell me more! When did you realize? Has he been treating you differently lately? I need to know as much as possible for this mission to be a success."

"Ino, this is not a mission," Sakura insisted. Ino just raised an eyebrow. Sakura sighed and began to answer the questions. "Well, you know that as his medic, I've already seen…most of him." Ino snickered. "Not like that!" Sakura squealed, hitting Ino with a couch cushion. "Anyway, so I already knew he was attractive. But a two months ago, we all went swimming to cool off during a mission, and…" she sighed. "I just really _looked_ at him for the first time, and I realized…I don't know. And then there was that mission a few weeks ago when I was injured and out of chakra, remember?" Ino nodded and Sakura continued. "Even though he had a bad stab wound, he carried me until we found a place where the four of us could hide out for the night, and he was so gentle and concerned. And I think that's when I realized it was more than just a passing physical attraction."

Ino's eyes were wide and shining. "That's so romantic!" she gushed. "So, I'm guessing you won't be up to the Trench Coat Method…"

"Absolutely no trench coats," Sakura demanded, crossing her arms.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Fine." Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "You haven't been acting weird around him since you realized you liked him, right?"

Sakura's cheeks turned pink and she looked at her lap. "Maybe a bit more friendly, but not weird. I'm not twelve anymore."

Ino looked skeptical, but nodded. "Good. And how has he been acting?"

"The same, I guess," Sakura shrugged. Biting her lip, she asked, "Ino? Do you really think I have a chance?"

"Sakura, don't you dare doubt yourself!" Ino cried indignantly, jabbing Sakura in the shoulder. "You're one of his teammates, not the mention the second-most beautiful kunoichi in the village," she winked, "and if anyone has a chance of landing the Copy Nin, it's you. Not that it will be easy," she added, "but with my help, what could go wrong?"

It was Sakura's turn to silently raise an eyebrow.

"Shut up, Forehead. We're going to the bar tonight." Ino grinned. "For recon, of course."

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><p>Giggling uncontrollably, Sakura managed to pour a fourth round of liquor for herself and Ino without spilling anything. Ino had shimmied into a favorite little black dress and had talked Sakura into a seldom-worn dark red number and an almost-as-seldom-worn pushup bra, claiming that it was about time people remembered they had clothes other than their kunoichi outfits. Kakashi hadn't shown up yet, though this was his usual bar on Friday nights.<p>

"I can't believe he's still not here," whined Sakura after downing her drink.

"I know," sighed Ino. "We're going to need another bottle, too," she pouted, upending the bottle and mournfully watching the few drops that fell into her glass.

Sakura reached into her purse for some coins and headed towards the bartender. As Tsunade's apprentice, she had a higher tolerance than Ino and was less likely to fall over or drop something. Glancing back, Sakura sighed. So much for 'recon.' She turned her head just in time to see a flash of silver before she collided with a rock-hard chest. Stumbling backward, she almost fell, but an arm shot out to hold her up. Gulping, Sakura looked up into the eye of her former sensei.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, leading her to the bar.

Sakura nodded and fought to keep the blood from rising to her face. "I was just getting another bottle to share with Ino. Want to join us?"

Kakashi appeared to consider it for a moment before shrugging. "Sure. Genma and Tenzou aren't here yet, anyway."

"Two bottles of the same, please," Sakura asked the bartender, not even bothering to pester Kakashi into chipping in. _Damn it_, she thought, pressing a hand to her flushed cheek. _Oh no, and Ino is even _less _subtle when she's drunk!_ Smiling at Kakashi, Sakura pressed a glass and one of the bottles into his hands before leading him back to the table she'd been sharing with Ino.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei!" Ino exclaimed. "Imagine seeing you here!"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck before sitting down. "Girls' night out?" he asked, glancing at their clothes.

"Yes!" Ino exclaimed before shooting Sakura a wicked smile. "We decided we were bored of always hanging around in our shinobi outfits. Don't you like Sakura's dress?" Sakura flushed bright red as Kakashi's eye trailed along her body.

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Lovely. And you, too, Ino."

Sakura sat down and they finally opened the bottle of liquor. The conversation flowed more smoothly as they talked about upcoming missions and Ino's new apprenticeship under Ibiki. Ino gradually became less and less coherent, and even Sakura began to notice the room spinning. Kakashi didn't seem to be affected much the by the alcohol. Of course, every time he raised the glass to his face, something would invariably distract the two kunoichi, so for all they knew, he was pouring it on the floor. Sakura leaned over to look for a puddle and almost fell off her chair.

"Shika!" Ino shrieked as she did fall off her chair. Sakura burst out laughing.

The young man easily caught her, muttering "troublesome" under his breath. He directed a weary glance at Sakura.

"Sorry," she giggled, "but it was all her idea! She made me come here, because—" Sakura stopped herself short.

"Right," Shikamaru drawled. He hefted a protesting Ino over one shoulder. "I'll take her back to her apartment. Kakashi-sensei, make sure Sakura gets home okay."

Kakashi nodded. "I will." Turning back to Sakura as Shikamaru left, he asked, "Don't you think it's time for you to head home, too?" His eye was creased in concern.

"I'm fine, Sensei!" Sakura pouted stubbornly. "And I'm not leaving until I finish the bottle. I did pay for it, after all." She held out her glass. With a sigh, Kakashi poured the remaining alcohol into her glass and watched as she tossed it back. "Oh look!" she pointed across the bar. "Genma and Yamato are here! We can drink with them now." Sliding out of her chair, Sakura adjusted her dress and started to head over, but was blocked by a strong arm.

"No." Kakashi's voice was stern.

Sakura leaned towards him. "What are you going to do to stop me?" she asked breathily, hardly believing the words coming out of her mouth. Ducking around his arm, she recommenced her journey to the far side of the bar. After only a few steps, she was unceremoniously thrown over Kakashi's shoulder and was forcibly carried out the door, much to both her pleasure and displeasure. She started pounding on his back. No chakra, of course. "Kakashi-sensei, put me down!" she hissed. "This is so embarrassing!"

"You should have listened the first time," was Kakashi's calm answer.

"You can't do this!"

"…What are you going to do to stop me?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. In response, Sakura started flailing around, desperately trying to dislodge herself, though still not willing to use chakra on her former sensei. "If you keep doing that, everyone will be able to look up your skirt," Kakashi noted. Sakura stilled immediately and went limp, defeated. She shivered when she felt Kakashi's fingers on her thigh as he tugged her dress back down.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she ventured quietly after a few minutes. The cool air had a sobering effect.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"I'm sorry I made you miss drinking with Genma and Yamato."

"Don't worry about it. I can always go back after I drop you off. Besides, I think they'll understand, given your grand exit." He chuckled.

Sakura groaned. "It's going to be all over the village by tomorrow, won't it?"

"Probably."

Sakura sighed. "Any chance you'd be willing to use your sharingan to make them all forget?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Sakura."

"Not even for your favorite student?" she pleaded jokingly.

"No, not even for Naruto."

"Sensei!" she whined.

"You're right. He's not nearly as nice to look at," Kakashi joked, his step faltering for a moment. Sakura was sure her face had just turned the color of her hair. "Well, we're here." Kakashi gently deposited Sakura on her doorstep.

Face still pink, Sakura smiled and said, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," before kissing his cheek and rushing inside her ground-floor apartment.

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto (which I do not), Neji would not be dead._

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

Kakashi stood stock-still for a few moments, thankful for his mask. _What just happened?_ he thought. In fact, now that he thought about it, the whole evening had been bizarre. First, Sakura invited him to drink with her and Ino, which was odd. Then, there was that moment when it seemed like Sakura was _flirting_ with him. While carrying her home, he'd slipped up with that comment about her being pretty, and then she'd _kissed_ him. Was she just that drunk? Was it to thank him? (For _what_?) Kakashi shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Quickly making the hand sign for the transportation jutsu, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared back outside the bar. Heading inside, he walked over to where Tenzou and Genma were sitting.

"He returns!" Genma proclaimed. Kakashi shot him a dirty look.

"Hello, senpai," Tenzou greeted Kakashi. "Is Sakura alright?"

Kakashi nodded, motioning for a drink. "She was at her limit and was about to come over here and drink even more, so I stepped in. We had a minor disagreement about it." He closed his eye in a fake smile. "Anyway, how was your date with Shizune?" he asked Genma, hoping to draw the topic away from him and Sakura.

Genma looked surprised that Kakashi had remembered, but accepted the change in subject and happily told his two fellow shinobi all about the date. Apparently, it had ended in an all-out sparring match.

"So she didn't like the date?" Tenzou asked, confused. "It sounded nice."

"No, she loved the date," Genma grinned around his senbon. "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'fighting is foreplay?'" Tenzou choked on his drink. "Yup. We're going out again in two days. So Kakashi, still living a life of celibacy?"

Kakashi considered ignoring the question, as he always did, but the night's events had unsettled him. Another group of shinobi had become raucous enough to prevent others from overhearing, so he was confident no one outside of Genma and Tenzou would hear what he was about to say. Calling for another drink, he lowered his voice and asked, "Can you two keep a secret?" Both men nodded. "I mean it," he said harshly, "no one can find out."

Genma rolled his eyes. "We've known each other since we were kids and you still don't trust me? Spit it out." Eyeing the mask, he added, "Not literally, though."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at him. "I am interested in someone."

"Oh, thank god, finally," Genma muttered.

Tenzou closed his mouth as he worked through the implications of Kakashi's initial request. "It's a subordinate, isn't it?" he asked, looking somewhat horrified.

"Hn," Kakashi nodded reluctantly. _Might as well tell them everything at this point_, he thought.

Genma started snickering. "Naruto?" Seeing Kakashi's unamused stare, he corrected himself. "Sakura, then."

Kakashi nodded and stared down into his empty glass, toying with it. "Obviously, it can't happen." Tenzou nodded gravely. Genma rolled his eyes. "Not only am I her superior and former teacher, but there is the age difference, as well. I was content to keep it to myself, but," he sighed, "she kissed me tonight."

Genma spat out his senbon, almost impaling Tenzou's finger. Apologizing, Genma turned to Kakashi and demanded, "You were drinking with her, right? Tell me everything." Listening attentively as Kakashi recounted the details, he leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head and a grin on his face. "Yep, she wants you."

Tenzou looked absolutely scandalized. "Why did I have to hear this?" he wailed, agitatedly running hands through his messy hair.

Ignoring his distraught friend, Genma leaned forward and said, "She likes you, obviously. From what you said, she's started making moves. So it's mutual, and there's no problem. You need to go for it."

Kakashi shook his head vehemently. "No. She's too young for me, and she deserves better. She can't know, for her own good."

Genma yanked the senbon out of the table, ignoring the bartender's glare, and pointed it at Kakashi. "No, that's bullshit. _You_ deserve better than to be alone out of some sense of martyrdom. I'm not going to help you stay miserable, if that's what you're about to ask us."

"I'm not changing my mind on this," Kakashi said firmly. "You'll help me, right?" he asked Tenzou. "You agree that it's the right thing to do."

Tenzou stopped muttering to himself and looked up. "Yes, senpai," he answered. "Though I don't think there's much you need to _do_. Just keep acting normally and resist her advances. She'll give up."

Genma sighed. "Tenzou is right on one point, at least. You don't want to be too proactive and ruin the relationship you already have with her."

Kakashi faced Genma down sternly. "And you won't tell her? Or Ino, or anyone else?" he demanded.

"I think throwing away a chance at love with a beautiful girl is unbelievably stupid," Genma insisted, senbon back between his teeth. "But I won't tell anyone," he added reluctantly.

"Thank you." Kakashi smiled at his friends with an eye-crease and transported himself back to his own apartment. Without paying for his drinks, of course. Genma and Tenzou grumbled and each placed some money on the table to cover his tab, as well as their own.

"You can't seriously want them to be involved in that sort of relationship," Tenzou accused.

Genma glared back at him. "_You_ can't seriously want Kakashi to be alone when he could finally find some happiness. He's suffered enough without bringing more sadness upon himself. Besides, you've miscalculated." He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing in front of his door. "They've forgotten Yamanaka Ino," Genma said to himself with a smile.

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><p>Sakura woke up to a pounding headache and a louder pounding at the door. "Sakura-chaaan!" someone yelled.<p>

Groaning, Sakura touched a glowing green hand to her forehead, easing her hangover, and slouched towards the door. Flinging it open, she gave Naruto her worst glare. "What do you want?" she demanded.

Naruto threw himself at her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Sakura-chan, I was so worried when I heard!" he exclaimed. "Thank god you're okay!"

_Oh, no. _"When you heard what, Naruto?" she growled.

Naruto continued on, oblivious to her tone. "That you had to be carried home from the bar like a sack of potatoes by Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura felt her headache coming back. Rubbing her temple, she said, "Kakashi-sensei was just being a jerk. I didn't have that much to drink."

"Oh, good," Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck and grinning sheepishly. "You don't want to grow up to be an old alcoholic like baa-chan, after all."

Her patience at an end, Sakura slammed the door in Naruto's face and headed back to bed. Unfortunately for her, Naruto immediately started shouting her name through the door. Praying she wouldn't eventually be evicted because of her obnoxious teammate, Sakura stormed back to the door and ripped it open. "_What,_ Naruto?"

"We have training today!" he whined. "We have to be there in fifteen minutes. Did you forget?"

"Shit!" Sakura shrieked, closing the door and running back to her bedroom. She changed out of her pajamas, hastily wrapped her breast bindings, and then threw on her clothes and equipment. Finally yanking on her boots, she joined Naruto outside and they hurried to Training Ground 3. They arrived five minutes late to find Sai doodling in the shade of a tree. Kakashi was nowhere in sight, as expected.

"Why do we even bother showing up on time every day?" Naruto wondered out loud.

Suddenly, Sakura had an idea that would both get back at Kakashi for last night's manhandling _and _further her own goal. "Hey, do you still want to see what's under Kakashi's mask?" she asked Naruto and Sai.

"Hell yes!" Naruto shouted.

Sai shrugged. "It's of little interest to me." Sakura and Naruto both shot him dirty looks.

"Will you help us, though?" Sakura asked.

Sai considered it for a while and then nodded, putting his ink and brush away. "It sounds like a good way to improve teamwork, as well as a useful challenge. I assume you have some sort of strategy, hag?"

Sakura's eye twitched. "As a matter of fact, I do."

When Kakashi arrived two hours later to no shouts of "You're late!" and no bickering, his stomach sank. _Oh, no._

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>


End file.
